Rubberised hair



Sept. 12 1967 RUBBERISED HAIR 5 Shee'ts sheet 1 Original Filed Nov. 27

sept. 12, 1967 H. A. HOWARD 3,341,397

RUBBERISED HAIR original Filed Nov. 27, 1961 5 sheets-'sheet r:

Sept. 12, 1967 A HOWARD 3,341,397

HUBBERISED HAIR Original Filed Nov. 27, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Sept. 12, 1967 H. A. HOWARD 3,341,397

RUBBERISED HAIR Original Filed Nov. 27, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 sept. 12,1967 H, A. HOWARD 3,341,397

RUB'BERISED HAIR Original Filed Nov. 27, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent Office 3,341,397 Patented Sept. 12, 1967 3,341,397 RUBBERISED HAIR Harold A. Howard, London, England, assigner to The Hair-lok Company Limited, London, England Original application Nov. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 155,050, now Patent No. 3,156,965, dated Nov. 17, 1964. Divided and this application Apr. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 364,054 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Dec. 1, 1960, 41,324/60 4 Claims. (Cl. ll- 168) This invention relates to rubberised hair, primarily for shock-absorbing packaging. This application is a division of my copending application Ser. No. 155,050, filed Nov. 27, 1961, and issued as U.S. Patent No. 3,156,- 965, on Nov. 17, 1964.

Rubberised hair, as this terminology is used in the art, consists of a mass, usually in the form of a uniform layer or pad, of upholstery fibres intermingled into a relatively open texture, i.e. not dense like felt, and adhesively held together by a coating of an adhesive which remains flexible when dry. The upholstery fibres may be natural fibres such as horsehair or other animal hair, such as wool, or vegetable fibres such as coconut fibre or Algerian grass or may be snythetic fibres, for example polyamide filaments. The adhesive may be rubber latex or any other adhesive remaining flexible when dry, for example plasticised polyvinyl chloride.

Any upholstery material of the above described kind coated with an adhesive which remains flexible when dry is included in the expression rubberised hair used in this specification.

For use in shock-absorbing packaging, pads of rubberised hair may be moulded to shape but also extensive use is made of pads cut from sheets or mats of lrubberised hair.

In the manufacture olf rubberised hair, it is known to start with curled hair which is carded and then, before or after being coated with liquid adhesive, deposited as a layer, or superposed layers, on a supporting surface to form a sheet. If a low density, easily compressible, pad is required, the sheet may 'be built up to a total thickness which is equal to, or only slightly greater than, the required thickness `of the finished pad. lf a high density pad, capable of supporting relatively heavy loads, is required, the built-up thickness is made substantially greater and then reduced by compression to the required finished thickness. The sheet of hair, composed of one or more builtup layers, with or without compression to a required thickness, is then given permanent shape by setting of the adhesive, such as by vulcanisation in the case of rubber latex adhesive. The sheet may itself form the required pad or may be cut into pads of a required size.

In their deposition into sheet form, the hairs become arranged `to a large extent in planes par-allel` to the plane of the supporting surface and any compression of the built-up thickness accentuates this by flattening upstanding curls or coils of hair. t

If rubberised hair pad is used in a iiat position, i.e. to support a load acting in the same direction as that in which the component hairs or layers of hair have been superimposed in manufacture, its resilient resistance to compression under the load is relatively low in relavapplied at closely spaced tion to the mass of the rubberised hair. In order to obtain a higher load-bearing capacity with a given mass, it is known to use pads, usually made from sections cut from sheets, on edge so that the hairs extend pre dominantly in the direction of the load.

The performance of shock-absorbing pads can be measured, by a series of drop tests, and their optimum value thus determined is expressed in terms of g, the unit g being the unit of the force of acceleration due to gravity and having an International Standard value of 980.65 cm. per sec. per sec. `or 32.1740 ft. per sec. per sec. In a typical case the value of g'for :a pad olf a given mass used fiat `and then on edge has the ratio 9:20. Consequently, for some purposes pads used on edge are too stiff, and are moreover liable to develop high-frequency oscillation in some uses, so that there is a requirement for rubberised hair pads with an intermediate value in terms of g.

Since the marked difference in performance of a rubberised hair pad flat and on edge is associated with the predominant orientation of the hairs being respectively perpendicular and parallel to the direction of the load, it can be appreciated that an intermediate performance, with more uniform characteristics, should be obtainable if predominance of any one orientation of the hairs could be avoided. The present invention is based on this realisation and provides a compressed rubberised hair pad in which the orientation of the hairs is multi-directional.

It should here be mentioned that it is possible to make a rubberised hair pad lhaving a uniform structure, without any predominant -orientation of the hairs, by initially assembling carded hair otherwise than by deposition of hair to form a sheet, for example by teasing bunches of hair together, thus avoiding a laminar structure in the body of hair, and `also avoiding any substantial compression or compacting of the hair which would cause flattening of the hairs themselves. Such a pad is however of very low density, suitable for only light packing, and is expensive to produce because it involves careful assembly or manipulation of the hair.

For most shock-absorbent packaging requirements, relatively dense rubberised hair isrequired and this has usually been made by building up layers of hair, with or Without additional compression, during manufacture. It is with such relatively dense rubberised hair that the present invention is concerned.

According to the invention, in a pad of compressed rubberised hair having substantially plane parallel faces, the hair extend multi-directionally between the plane faces with a sinuous grain resulting from lateral compression, in a direction substantially parallel to the plane faces, intervals within the thickness of the pad during manufacture of the pad and before setting of the adhesive of the rubberised hair.

A pad in accordance with the invention can be distinguished from previously known compressed rubberised hair pads by the fact that it is resiliently stretchable or extensible in the direction in which it has been laterally compressed, the sinuous grain structure of the hairs being capable of opening out and closing rather like a concertina. In previous compressed rubberised hair pads, a substantial proportion of the hairs lie in such an attitude and are bonded, by the adhesive, to other hairs in such a way that for part of their length 4at least they formy inextensible links between adjacent portions of the pad which therefore cannot be stretched appreciably Without tearing of such hairs or their bonds.

A method for making a pad of compressed rubberised hair according to the invention comprises subjecting a sheet, consisting of at least one layer of hair, to lateral compression applied at closely spaced intervals within the thickness of the sheet and in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the sheet and subsequently effecting setting of the .adhesive of the rubberised hair to maintain the laterally compressed condition thereof.

The preferred method of applying the lateral compression is by means of at least two spaced sets of needles which are inserted into the sheet in a direction perpendicular to the plane thereof and then moved laterally towards each other.

Thus, hairs which have been deposited to form the sheet so that they lie substantially parallel in the plane thereof, and therefore substantially perpendicularly between the 'inserted needles, become waved or crimped by the needles moving towards each other and the hairs composing the sheet are caused to assume a predominantly sinuous configuration or grain.

Moreover, when previously-curled hair is used for making the sheet, as is usual, it is found that strands and coils `of hair, which become flattened in the formation of the sheet, are caused to'bend, kink and open out their coils or curls under the lateral thrust of the needles.

The effect of lateral compression applied at relatively closely spaced intervals within the sheet of hair is quite different from that which would be produced by any attempt to apply a compression laterally to the sheet of hair as .a Whole. Such an attempt would result only in a non-uniform compacting of the hair, concentrated near the external surfaces at which the compression was applied and less further away according to the inertia of the hair and its friction .against the surfaces supporting land confining it.

The lateral compression applied, which may be effected without the sheet of hair having been compressed in thickness or after an initial compression in thickness, tends to increase the thickness of the sheet. The final, finished pad,`thickness of the sheet of hair can be determined by limiting such increase of thickness under the effect of lateral compression or by applying a final, relatively light, compression in thickness.

To enable the finished thickness of the laterally compressed pad to be controlled and the faces of the pad to be made substantially plane, the method can be carried out by locating the sheet of hair between a pair of multiple-slotted parallel plates, passing the sets of needles through 'the slots of the plates and the sheet vof hair between them and moving the sets of needles laterally towards one another while the separation of the plates is limited, such as by the Weight of one'plate resting on distant pieces supported by the other plate.

The method may be applied in batch production or in continuous sheet production of rubberised hair using apparatus which basically comprises a pair of multipleslotted parallel plates, to confine the sheet of hair between them, at least two sets of parallel needles carried by parallel bars, means for effecting relative movement of the pair of plates and the needle bars to thrust 'the needles through, and subsequently withdraw them from,'the slots 1 of the plates and the sheet of hair between them, means for moving the needle bars laterally towards each other while the needles extend through the sheet of hair, and means for holding the sheet of hair in laterally compressed condition after withdrawal of the needles therefrom.

An'example of such apparatus and the production of a rubberised hair pad in accordance with the invention will nowV be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a perspective sketch of a cut piece of a compressed rubberised hair pad such as is well known.

FIG. 2 is a corresponding view of a cut piece of a pad according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a view showing the piece of pad of FIG. 2 stretched in the direction indicated by the arrows so aS to open out its sinuous grain hair structure.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are respectively a plan, with parts omitted to facilitate illustration, a front elevation and .a sectional end View, on the line VI-VI of FIG. 4, with parts in alternative positions, of an `apparatus according to the invention, and

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are diagrams illustrating the sequence Vof operation of the apparatus.

FIG. l shows part of a known kind of compressed rubberised hair pad, the nearer edges 1 and 2 being cut edges to reveal the predominantly plane laminar orientation of the hairs which results from deposition of the hairs in one or more layers and, usually, compression in thickness to increase the density of the pad. In a compressed or moulded pad, the hair structure 'is usually concealed by surface compa-cting of the hair at the edges and it is for this reason that cut edges are illustrated.

FIG. 2 shows, for comparison with FIG. 1, a similar part of a laterally compressed rubberised hair pad according to the invention, the lateral compression having been effected at relatively closely spaced intervals as indicated by the short arrows. As can be seen at the cut nearer edge 3, such lateral compression has given the hairs a predominantly sinuous grain in the direction of the ycompression and at the cut nearer edge 4 the orientation of the hairs, transverse to the direction of lateral compression, is multi-directional with substantial proportions extending in the directions of both the thickness and the plane of the pad.

If the part pad of FIG. 2 is stretched in the direction of the lateral compression, as indicated in FIG. 3 by the long arrows, the sin-ous structure opens out, somewhat in the manner of a concertina, and the sinuous structure is more easily recognisable. Such stretching is not possible with known pads of the kind illustrated by FIIG. 1.

In a pad laterally compressed by inserted needles in accordance with the invention, it may happen that the needles leave small but defined holes in the pad as indicated by 5 in F'I'G. 2.

Apparatus for the batch production of pads is shown by FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 and comprises a frame 6 in which a horizontal pair of multiple-slotted plates, or grid tables, 7 and 8 are located and vertically movable.

The lower plate 7 is carried by raising and lowering mechanism, shown as a hydraulic or pneumatic jack 9, `and the upper plate 8 can rest freely on adjustable. supports 10 or can be raised, by the lower plate 7, to -be engaged and releasably held up by pneumatic or like retractable plunger locks 11 at each side of Ithe frame 6.

The alternative, lowered and raised, positions o-f the plates 7 and 8 are shown respectively by the left and right parts of FIG. 6.

-In the upper part of the frame 6, two pairs of guide rods 12 extend horizontally from side to side, one pair at the back and the other pair at the front, and on the rods 12 are slidably mounted, by bearing sleeves 13, a large number of closely-spaced horizontal parallel bars 14 from each of which projects downwardly a set of vertical needles 15.

The bearing sleeves 13 alternate on the pairs of rods i12, which permits relatively long sleeves to be used.

The bars 14 Kare linked together in adjacent pairs by inclined slotted links 16 .so that the bars can slide, on the guide rods 12, towards each other into mutual abutment or apart to the limit of the slots of the links 15.

At each end of the assembly of bars 14, a beam 17 is also mounted to slide on the guide rods 12, is linked by Kslotted links 18 to the respective end bar 14 and has a straight rack `19 extending transversely over the bars 14 to mes-h with a vertical axis pinion 20, the two racks` being at opposite sides of the pinion, on a shaft 21 which has a bevel gear 22 to be driven by a reversible electric motor 23.

lBy rotation of the pinion 20 in one direction, the beams 17 can be moved inward-ly to abut against the respective end bars 14, entrain such end bars in their movement and cause them in turn to abut against and move successive bars until the assembly of bars has been closed towards the centre.

, On reversal of the pinion 20, the beams y17 are moved outwardly, pulling the bars 14 successively apart through the links 18 and 16.

Rotation of the pinion 20 is controlled by suitable switches for the electric motor 213 and these may include manual starting and reversing switches and automatic stopping switches, suc-.h as are known as limit switches, operated by contact with the beams 17 at suitable positions on the frame 6.

The operation of the apparatus will now be described with reference to the diagrams, FIGS. 7, 8 and 9.

A sheet of hair coated with adhesive is prepared, for example is cut from a web of such hair produced in a manner known for rubberised hair, and is placed on the lower plate 7 of the apparatus when the plates are in the lower position as shown in FIG. 5.

By operation of the jack 9, the lower plate 7 is raised and lifts the upper plate 8, resting on suitable distance pieces placed on the lower plate 7 to suit the required finished thickness of pad, until the needles .15 have passed through the slots in the plates and the sheet of hair between them. This position is shown by FIG. 7 in which the sheet of hair is shown by reference 24.

The motor 23 is now operated to cause the needle bars 14 to close together so that the needles laterally compress the sheet of hair at closely spaced intervals. During this lateral compression, increase in thickness of the hair sheet is limited by the spacing and weight of the upper plate 8, and the hair sheet flattens its upper and lower faces against the plates 7 and 8.

The plunger locks 11 are now protruded to engage and support the upper plate 8 in its raised position and the lower plate 7 is lowered, leaving the laterally compressed sheet of hair impaled on the needles 15 as shown by FIG. 8.

IAn open rectangular frame 25 is placed on the lower plate 7, in alignment below the laterally compressed hair sheet 24, as shown in FiIG. 8 and the lower plate is again raised for the frame 25 to surround the sheet 24.

The plunger locks 1.1 are now retracted and the lower plate 7 lowered, carrying with it the frame 25, the sheet 24 therein and the upper plate 8 until the plate S encounters and rests on the supports 10. This position is shown by FIG. 9.

The sheet 24, recovering slightly from its lateral cornpression, lits tightly in the frame 25 and can be removed therewith. Subsequent vulcanization, or other setting of the adhesive, renders permanent the laterally compressed lstate of the hair sheet which, after removal from the frame 25, forms the required pad.

lFor continuous production, a basically similar method to that described above can be used, the needle bars in such case being, for example, slats of an endless chain or belt which is lowered on to a sheet of hair moving on a conveyor, between multiple-slotted parallel plates, so that t-he needle slats travel with, successively close up to one another and compress the hair at -intervals in the direction of travel until it has passed through a vulcanizing chamber or other setting stage.

In another method of continuous production a sheet of hair, coated with liquid adhesive and being conveyed in a direction in its plane, is compressed in a direction in its plane at relatively closely spaced intervals by means of at least one pair of sets of needles which are caused repeatedly to penetrate the sheet in the direction of its thicknes, relatively moved, one set laterally towards the other for a short distance, and then withdrawn from the hair.

The effect of the sets of needles each time they move towards each other is to compress laterally the portion of hair between them and, movement of the sheet being maintained at a suitably reduced speed, such compression is held unt-il vulcanization or other setting of the adhesive renders the compression permanent.

lt will be understood that other arrangements could be used for successively closing together needles or equivalent hair-engaging members so as to effect in a sheet of hai-r successive or simultaneous local and limited compressions of the hair laterally with respect to the plane of the sheet.

For example, two parallel bars, each with an array of needles, may be mounted on a conveyor for the rubberised .hair sheet and caused, by links and eccentric or cam motions, repeatedly to penetrate the hair and car-ry out the desired cycle of movement.

One bar may simply be given a reciprocating movement, for its needles intermittently to enter the hair as a stop for hair compressed by the needles of the other bar Which is given a lateral movement .as well as a reciprocation.

Alternatively, and preferably, both bars are given a similar reciprocating and lateral movement, but opposite in direction in the lateral movement, so that they both move to compress hair between their needles.

The needles of each pair may be arranged to penetrate the hair both from the same side of a sheet, for example downwardly with a horizontally-conveyed sheet, or from opposite sides, for example from above and below a horizontally-conveyed sheet or from either side of a vertically-conveyed sheet.

A pad of rubberised hair in accordance with the invention can be seen, particularly by inspection of a section cut in the direction of the lateral compression, to have a hair structure which is not predominantly plane-laminar, like ordinary layered rubberised hair, but multdirectional and with a wavy or sinuous lgrain in the direction of the lateral compression.

I claim:

1. -A resilient shock-absorbing pad of laterally compressed rubberised hair having substantially plane parallel faces, said pad being resilient'ly extensible in a direction parallel to the plane faces and consisting of a single structure of intermingled iibers which extend multi-directionally between the plane faces and are held by a fiexible adhesive in a predominantly sinuous grain configuration resulting from lateral compression, in a direction substantial'ly parallel to the plane faces, applied at closely spaced intervals within the thickness of the pad during manufacture of the pad and before setting of the adhesive.

2. A resilient shock-absorbing pad of laterally compressed rubberised hair having substantially plane parallel faces, said pad consisting of a single structure of intermingled fibers which extend multi-directionally and are held in a sinuous grain configuration between the plane faces by a flexible adhesive, said pad being resiliently extensible in a direction parallel to the plane faces by opening out and closing of the sinuous grain structure like a concertina.

3. A resilient pad of laterally compressed rubberised hair having substantially plane parallel faces for use as a shock absorbing member in packaging, said pad consisting of a single sheet of intermingled bers which extend multi-directionally and are held in a predominantly sinuous grain configuration between the plane faces by a ilexible adhesive, said pad being resiliently extensible in a direction parallel to said parallel faces.

4. A resilient shock-absorbing pad having two, respectively lower and upper, parallel faces of continuous substantially plane form, said pad comprising laterally compressed fibers interrningled and extendingmulti-direction ally With an open texture, and a coating of a flexible adhesive material on and interconnecting said ibers, said fibers and said coating forming a single intcrmingled dbrous structure which is continuous between and in a direction parallel to said faces, said structure having a predominant sinuous ber grain of adhesively interconnected bers through the thickness of said pad between said faces, said pad being resiliently extensible in a direction parallel to said faces.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS vMORRIS SUSSMAN, 10 ALEXANDER WYMAN, A. I. SMEDEROVAC,

Examiners.

Primary Examiner. 

1. A RESILIENT SHOCK-ABSORBING PAD OF LATERALLY COMPRESSED RUBBERISED HAIR HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY PLANE PARALLEL FACES, SAID PAD BEING RESILIENTLY EXTENSIBLE IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE PLANE FACES AND CONSISTING OF A SINGLE STRUCTURE OF INTERMINGLED FIBERS WHICH EXTEND MULTI-DIRECTIONALLY BETWEEN THE PLANE FACES AND ARE HELD BY A FLEXIBLE ADHESIVE IN A PREDOMINANTLY SINUOUS GRAIN CONFIGURATION RESULTING FROM LATERAL COMPRESSION, IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE PLANE FACES, APPLIED AT CLOSELY SPACED INTERVALS WITHIN THE THICKNESS OF THE PAD DURING MANUFACTURE OF THE PAD AND BEFORE SETTING OF THE ADHESIVE. 